Report slams culture of 'sexual entitlement' in hockey department

New details of drunken, naked parties at the campus arena are surfacing after a report from Boston University accused its athletic department of creating a culture of "sexual entitlement" around its renowned hockey program.

The internal investigation was launched last March after two hockey players were charged with sexual assault in a three-month span.

The task force released its findings that concluded that the BU men's hockey team is detached from the general campus and that among some players "a culture of sexual entitlement does exist -- stemming from their elevated social status ... and evidenced by frequent sexual encounters with women absent an emotional relationship or ongoing commitment ..."

The task force says it's a culture also marked by heavy alcohol use, all of which created a mindset that officials believe did contribute to last season's alleged crimes.

Documents obtained by the Globe show how far some members may have taken their star status on campus, including a late-night drinking party after the 2009 NCAA championship inside the Agganis Arena where people went on the ice naked to shoot pucks. One former student said people were having sex in the penalty box.

The documents also show some players were unconcerned about sex with adoring fans. One hockey player told the committee "you don't ask (permission for sex) when you are drunk."

A female student told the task force a player shoved his hands down her pants and wouldn't stop, even as she punched him. She didn't report it, explaining "that's just what (BU hockey players) do."

Students say it's a wakeup call that is long overdue

"If you give a 20-year-old who plays a lot of sports and he's pumped up, and you say 'go do whatever you want and no one's going judge you because you're on the hockey team,' he's probably going to take that in the wrong direction," said student Samantha Kassel.

"There is a lot of sexual harassment in every field, and I think this is part of it. And I'm glad we're addressing it," said student David Imani.

"To think that these hockey players -- that we definitely look up to them -- that they would do something like this. It's kind of disappointing," sophomore George Jiao said.

"I think that hockey players, in general, when they are on a good team they act like they are better than everyone else," sophomore Hellen Keller said.

Olympic champion and former BU player Mike Eruzione, who was consulted by the task force, also applauds the university for taking a critical look.

"I think athletes, men and women, sometimes feel a sense of entitlement because of the stature that they carry at a university -- whether it's a hockey player at BU, football player at Texas or a woman basketball player at UConn. What I was happy about is that they found is that's really nothing drastically wrong with the BU hockey program -- I think it's more the culture of college athletics," he said.